Atlas Lives Again

This is the fifth episode in the 80's series and was first broadcast in Japan on October 22nd, 1980.

Doctor Elefun has built parents for me, but Atlas is back and has abducted them. He wants me to help him with his evil schemes to take over the world but I won’t let it get away with that!

Plot

Atlas is back!

Astro is presented his future parents

Doctor Elefun and Astro are in a flight when they are struck down by a magnetic wind storm. Astro manages to land the plane on the sea unharmed, but loses consciousness in the process. When awakening, he is on the sea floor next to a small rock of neotectoron ( spelling?) . After coming back to the city, Astro is presented to his future parents, still unfinished robots.

During that time, Skunk and a sidekick are trying to escape the police after accidentally setting up an alarm. Just while they are cornered, a robot mounting a robotic horse appears and neutralizes the police. Skunk discovers that this unknown robot is Atlas, who has rebuilt himself after being badly damaged in the second episode. Skunk convinces him to join his gang. However after a few robbings he leaves, destroying Skunk’s car who was trying to get him back.

Doctor Elefun and Inspector Gunshoe are puzzled by the fact that a robot committed evil deeds such as robbing a bank, when they learn that an unknown robot has attacked a factory. Interviewing robot workers there confirmes that version. Doctor Elefun tells Astro that a robot can’t commit crimes unless he is equipped with the Omega Factor, created by Walpur Guiss. Later Atlas attacks the robot factory where are Astro’s future parents and steals all robots in production there. Astro then rushes after Atlas, but not before Doctor Elefun gives him a location tracker. Astro finds Atlas’ lair under the sea, where Atlas tries to rally him to his cause. Astro refuses, they fight, and in the process the lair is destroyed when water flows through the damaged walls. Astro manages to save his future parents, and Doctor Elefun, Daddy Walrus and Inpector Gumshoe find them thanks to the locator. Doctor Elefun then leads Astro to his new home where his parents are awaiting him with Jump.

Differences between languages

When Atlas appears for the first time to some characters (especially Skunk and Astro), some flashblacks from his youth in the first and second episodes are displayed. This makes little sense in non-Japanese versions (mainly English and French, but maybe other versions too), as in these versions the two first episodes have been mixed into a single one where Atlas never appears.

In the intructory part of the French version, the plane doesn’t crash; Astro is said to have found the neotectoron somewhere previously instead of on the sea floor. The reason why Atlas abducted Astro’s future parents is to coerce him into helping him, while it is left unspecified in the English version ( something in the Japanese version?). When Doctor Elefun explains his theory why Atlas can commit crimes, he mentions the neotectoron whose magnetism can make robots evil. In the English version the Omega Factor is correctly mentioned.

Music

When Atlas appears for the first time, a piece of classical music ( which one?) is played.